Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

14.5.60

Hi Darling, and Ma & Pa too

Well, we had quite a day in Tübingen yesterday - a mixture of collegetype fun and interesting conversation. The town itself is simply beautiful, located on steepish hillsides rising from the quiet, smooth-flowing Neckar. Its sort of romantic - rustic with lots of old houses; and the presence of the university (it really is essentially a "university town", that being the main reason for its existence) only adds the student atmosphere to the already special scenic beauty. It's an ideal spot of a university (especially from the extra-curricular point of view!).

We arrived about 11 Am, spent 2 hours before lunch walking around the town for a while, then taking a beautiful rowboat ride on the Neckar. This is a favorite student pastime, both for groups of boys or girls and for couples (or even triple dates in one case I saw). There is a long, low narrow, tree and grass covered island in the stream and we spent about an hour rowing leisurely up one side of it, back the other, four of us and one German student. All along the bank of the island were students reading or just talking or lying in the sun - it was so peaceful and pretty!

While we were eating lunch back at the fraternity house a sudden storm blew up and it began pouring rain, continued intermittently for the whole afternoon. We went down to the Stift - an Augustenian cloister from the 15th century, now a dorm for mostly theology students, others too - heard a talk about the history of the town, the cloister, etc. Several famous people have studied at Tübingen, one of Germany's best universities (dating from 1420) - Kepler the astronomer, Hegel the philosopher, Schelling (a contemporary of Hegel in idealism), Hölderlin, a lyric poet of the 19th cent.

From the Stift we rode up to a cafe - hangout of the students, overlooking the Neckar valley, and sat around drinking a delicious hard cider - lemon juice drink and sharing college songs together. We 30 from Stanford sang our classic drinking songs, then joined them on German songs. Lots of fun of course.

Then last night we had a dinner-dance at the fraternity house, had a chance both to dance and have fun and to talk about German and American universities ans student life. We finally had to leave about 11:30 in order to stagger into bed here at 1:30.

Got to go now to ride with Dr. Tarshus to Stuttgart - another bunch of errands.

Lots of love, George

we go to Vienna for the week before my coming home. We have a one-day trip this Friday to Tübingen to attend some classes at the university there, tour the town, and have a dinner dance as guests of one of the fraternities - 30 of us are going and it should be fun and interesting too.

I had a nice visit with the Krauters last night - hadn't been able to see thme for about 2 weeks, so it was nice to go back. Mom, I'm sort of cool on your sending anything over for them - not from my standpoint, but from theirs. Bridge and I gave them 1/2 lb of coffee when we stayed with then for the 2 days, and they were almost insulted. She is always giving me food to bring back to the Burg with me (as well as stuffing me while I'm there) and won't take no for an answer. It's part of their idea of hospitality, and its very different from our American idea of reciprocation, of social obligations. Maybe I can send them something for Christmas, but for now I think its better not to.

Just a couple more little requests - please send Annie a copy of the observations I wrote you on Berlin, since she missed out on them; hope you get those typed up and sent soon - I'll be home before you do if you're not on your toes! Second, could you set up an appointment with an oculist (isn't Dr. Weber the name of mine, next to the Warners Theater?), perhaps for the Monday - June 13, in the early afternoon? My frame has been held together with scotch tape since Rome (!! how's that for a shocking confession? - I don't want to be without my glasses here, and probably couldn't find my style of frames anyway) and I want the prescription checked too, since it's been some time since I've seen him. The only reason I suggest Monday is that I may want to spend a few days in Bakersfield that week before starting my summer job, if that's possible and I'll probably have other errands to run too - like getting a haircut! and clearing customs packages, etc. O.K.?? O.K.!!

Gotta write Annie now before lunchtime, so 'bye for now.

Lots of love, George